M-A students flex their school spirit with colorful costumes and fearsome eye black for spirit weeks and Friday night football games. However, some M-A students take their passion one step further and dress up as the classic bear mascot, which has uplifted the proud and enthusiastic student body for decades.
M-A alumna Yvie Rudolph took on the role for all four years of high school.
Rudolph tried out for the drill and cheerleading teams, which both performed at football games; however, she “completely froze” due to stage fright and didn’t make either team.
The legendary Coach Parks noticed Rudolph’s determination to be a part of M-A’s community and offered her the opportunity to be the mascot. “It was a way to perform without being embarrassed because nobody knew it was me,” she said. “I just acted totally goofy.”
Alumnus Jacob Fishman’s animated personality and talented dance skills made him a natural fit for the role throughout the 2019-2020 football season. “I was happy I got to represent M-A in an amazing way,” he said.
In addition to pumping up the crowd on his own, Jacob performed at halftime with the dance team and participated in sideline cheers with the cheer team all while wearing his mascot outfit.
“The bear costume was not made for dancing. My head was knocked off in the middle of the fight by the Sacred Heart gator,” he said, which revealed his secret identity to the crowd.
Senior Aaron Becker performed as the bear mascot at the 2022 and 2023 Homecoming Rallies. Becker is an active member in Leadership, a member of the M-A football team, and has been class president for the past two years. He volunteered both times, and his eagerness and strong sense of school spirit made him an obvious choice.
During each rally, he fought the opposing school’s mascot, eliciting loud, triumphants reactions from the assembled student body.
“I feel like I was supporting our school getting hyped for the homecoming game,” he said.
Fun facts about the M-A Bear:
Our logo is an imitation of the Memphis Grizzlies’ logo.
The bear statue near the PAC was imported from Thailand in 2011.
